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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762794">Batmoji</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/irritates/pseuds/irritates'>irritates</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batwoman (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Misunderstandings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:08:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762794</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/irritates/pseuds/irritates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Luke makes some modifications with unintended consequences. (Really just a throwaway bit from 1x04 that I can’t let go.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Fox &amp; Kate Kane, Mary Hamilton &amp; Kate Kane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Batmoji</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It’s 2021 and I’m finally going through all the partial fics in my drive, I started this one after watching 1x04 and figured I should probably finish it before season 2 starts</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>Luke</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> Where are you??? It’s urgent!  </em>
</p>
<p>The text ends with a red bat emoji. As if Kate needs the extra hint about what could be so urgent. Thanks Luke, subtle.</p>
<p>“So, what's with the new code,” she'd asked, after the first time the now familiar red bat had popped up in her notifications. She’d even thrown in some half-hearted air quotes around the word, but that was mostly for her own benefit, since Luke had yet to look up from whatever important thing he’d been working on.</p>
<p>“Code?” he asked, confused, before the light bulb turned on and he looked over at her. “Oh! Do you like it? I thought it would be a good signal, so you'd know when it was a Wayne Enterprises matter and when it was, you know,” he gestures at the bat cave around them. “A different Wayne Enterprises matter.”</p>
<p>“Well it’s… direct,” Kate offered, and then Luke had given her a look, and she’d shrugged, unapologetic. “What?”</p>
<p>And they moved on to business.</p>
<p>So she’s gotten used to seeing it there, punctuating the end of Luke’s panicked and frequently vague texts. The red symbol lets Kate know, before she even bothers to read the message itself, that something criminal is going on in Gotham. It tells her it’s time to make her excuses and leave, all the while kicking herself for continuing to be terrible at this whole dual identity thing.</p>
<p>After Reagan ends things, Kate thinks it might get easier. After all, with no one around, there’s no one to lie to. No one except herself, that is. Her phone buzzes and she pushes down the bitterness to check it. That little red bat bright on the screen is all she needs to jump into action and head out, no excuse needed. She reads it as she goes, her door halfway open before she realizes the text isn’t from Luke.</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> We NEED to talk </em>
</p>
<p>And a red bat emoji.</p>
<p>Kate blinks, checking the screen again to make sure she read it right. Yep, the text still said it was from Mary.</p>
<p>Sophie. Beth--Alice. She wouldn't be surprised if Reagan had caught on, she had a gift for reading people. The list just kept getting longer, and now Mary knew too. Or at least, suspects something. Maybe. She wants to talk to Kate about it, at any rate, so Kate does the only logical thing she can think of.</p>
<p>She calls Luke.</p>
<p>“Mary wants to talk,” she says with no preamble as soon as he picks up.</p>
<p>“So, talk to Mary then?” he suggests. “Why are you calling me?”</p>
<p>“No, she said she--she texted that we need to talk. About Batwoman.” Kate’s grip on her doorknob tightens. “Luke, she--”</p>
<p>“We don’t know for sure that she knows,” he interrupts. “Didn’t Batwoman drop off another injured thug to her clinic the other night? Maybe she just wants to tell you about that.”</p>
<p>Kate lets her hand go slack, but the concern still hasn’t quite left her. “Yeah. Maybe.”</p>
<p>“Just,” Luke sighs. “Don’t start by confessing, or denying, or anything. Wait to hear what she has to say first.”</p>
<p>“Or I could just ignore her and hope it goes away?” she suggests. Kate can’t see him, but she swears she can hear Luke rolling his eyes at her.</p>
<p>“When has that ever worked with Mary?”</p>
<p>“...Fair enough.”</p>
<p>Kate tries it anyway.</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> Hello? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> You’re not ignoring me are you? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> Kate?? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> Kate please this is TIME SENSITIVE </em>
</p>
<p><em> 1 missed call: </em> <b> <em>Mary</em> </b></p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> Your phone rang so I know it’s on </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Mary</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> KATE </em>
</p>
<p><em> 2 missed calls: </em> <b> <em>Mary</em> </b></p>
<p><em> 1 new voicemail: </em> <b> <em>Mary</em> </b></p>
<p>Feeling guilty, Kate hits play.</p>
<p>“Look, Kate, maybe you’re not ignoring me, maybe you forgot your phone, or you’re paying attention for once in some big, important meeting, or maybe you’ve been on a date for like, 3 hours, whatever, I have to get to class, but I’ll be done at 2:45 so can you please just text or call me back sometime before 6?” Mary pauses here, just long enough for Kate to think that might be the end. A soft sigh stops her from putting the phone down. “You can say no, okay? I just thought it would be fun. Alright, bye.”</p>
<p>Mary’s message only makes Kate feel worse, and... something about it doesn’t add up.</p>
<p>Why does Mary need to talk to her before 6? Is she trying to catch Kate before she suits up? And why would it be fun? Unless, if Mary really has figured her out, does she want to be involved somehow? Well, more involved. Kate curses herself, not for the first time, for continuing to visit Mary’s clinic as Batwoman. She thought she’d been careful, might even be keeping Mary a little safer, but, really, even if Mary hasn’t figured it out, isn’t Kate still putting her in danger by association?</p>
<p>The clinic puts Mary in danger anyway, but that’s a weak excuse and Kate knows it.</p>
<p>Even if she’s not <em>involved</em>, if Mary knows then Mary is in danger. Well, more danger. Is that what she meant when she said that Kate could say no? No. Absolutely not. There was no way she would say yes to Mary being involved in her secret.</p>
<p>But this is all assuming that Mary knows. She might not. She might be talking about something completely unrelated to Kate being Batwoman that’s… still about Batwoman, somehow. </p>
<p>She finally follows Luke’s advice.</p>
<p>
  <b> <em>Kate</em> </b>
  <br/>
  <em> Sorry. No to what? </em>
</p>
<p>Kate has about an hour before Mary can respond, so she has that long to find something to pretend to be busy doing. </p>
<p>She thinks about calling Luke again, but decides against it. She tries getting some actual work done, but she’s distracted, and isn’t accomplishing much, other than the beginnings of a headache. The hour passes much faster than Kate expects, because the next thing she knows her cell is ringing. The display reads: </p>
<p><em> Calling: </em> <b> <em>Mary</em> </b></p>
<p>Taking a steadying breath and hoping that it’ll keep the apprehension out of her voice, Kate picks up after the second ring.</p>
<p>“Sorry, busy morning,” she says, hoping it sounds even a little believable.</p>
<p>“It's okay, you're forgiven,” Mary says, and Kate thinks she means it. “Is now a good time?”</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah,” Kate hesitates. “I’ve got a couple minutes. What’s up?”</p>
<p>“First, you don’t already have plans tonight, do you?” Mary doesn’t give her a chance to respond. “Because I just found out that that new club opening up on Lafayette has a soft launch tonight, invite only, and guess who’s been put on the guest list.”</p>
<p>“You?” she offers, confused, but Mary isn’t listening to her anyway.</p>
<p>“I’ve got a plus one and I was thinking, if you’re not busy, I mean, that it might be a great way to... network! Or maybe meet someone new, I know you said you were fine, but it doesn’t hurt to just go, right? Besides,” and here Mary slows down a bit. “It might just be fun to go out dancing, you know, even if it is with your sister.”</p>
<p>And then she stops talking.</p>
<p>It takes Kate a moment to realize that Mary is waiting for her to answer, but she’s thrown because she’s pretty sure that none of that had… anything to do with Batwoman?</p>
<p>“So,” Kate says, struggling to fill the silence. “This is what you needed to talk to me about?”</p>
<p>“Well, yeah,” Mary sounds defeated. “Look, I get it, and you don’t have to go. Don’t worry about me, I’m sure I can--”</p>
<p>“No!” Kate interrupts, still trying to put the pieces together. “No I mean, not no but... yes?”</p>
<p>“Yes?” And Mary sounds so hopeful that all Kate can think of is all the times she’s bailed on her before.</p>
<p>“Yes. I think. I’ll have to double check my schedule, but what time?”</p>
<p>“9 at the earliest, it starts at 8 but we both know no one will actually show up at 8,” Mary’s off again, speaking quickly like she’s afraid if she stops Kate will change her mind. “We could meet up at 9 and head over together, if you want. Unless you want to get together even earlier to do outfits? If you have time, sorry, I know you need to check your schedule, and my couple of minutes are probably almost up. Text me and let me know, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Kate manages. “I will.”</p>
<p>“Oh, and I’ll text you the address, too. Okay, letting you go. Don’t forget to text me! Bye,” and with that, Mary hangs up.</p>
<p>Kate stares at her phone for a moment, and something clicks into place. She calls Luke.</p>
<p>“What emoji is it?” she asks before he can say hello.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“What <em> emoji </em> on my phone did you replace with the, you know,” Kate huffs. “With your signal for when there’s a <em> Wayne Enterprises </em> emergency?”</p>
<p>It takes a moment before Luke responds. “That... dancing lady one? Why--oh.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kate says. “Oh.”</p>
<p>Later, after Luke refuses to consider Kate’s suggestion of any of the flag emojis (“No one ever uses them,” Kate argues, while Luke is adamant that if anyone managed to hack into their text logs it would <em> definitely </em>be weird) and Kate nixes his proposal of the 100 emoji (“Luke, have you texted anyone in the last few years?”), they finally manage to settle on the floppy disc with the logic that it’s just outdated enough to not be a commonly texted emoji but innocuous enough that, if their logs were ever hacked (“I’m not saying it’s going to happen! I’m just saying it doesn’t hurt to be prepared!”), it could reasonably be passed off as an indicator that whatever emergency was a technical one. </p>
<p>“And what, exactly, was the dancing woman supposed to be an indicator of?” Kate asks, and Luke sighs, running his hands over his face and mumbling something about looking urgent and wearing red.</p>
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